May 18, 2011 – Last year was another eventful year for Wisconsin and federal courts, legislative bodies, and administrative agencies. Wisconsin judges, legislators, and rule makers addressed issues of statewide and local interest – such as the use of race-based nicknames, logos, mascots, and team names by school districts – while the federal government dealt with matters of national importance – such as the federal estate tax and gift tax.
Tracking the numerous changes in the law from the past year is easily managed thanks to the attorney-authors of the 2011 edition of Annual Survey of Wisconsin Law, published by State Bar PINNACLE™. Those 44 attorneys collectively spent hundreds of hours sifting through recent developments in the law. The result is a concise summary of the legal developments most significant to Wisconsin lawyers.
Listed below are just a few of the many topics discussed in the 2011 Annual Survey:
Civil Procedure and Torts: The Wisconsin Supreme Court’s adoption of new rules for the discovery of electronically stored information.
Probate and Estate Planning: The Wisconsin Legislature’s adoption of the Uniform Power of Attorney for Finances and Property Act in a newly created chapter of the Wisconsin Statutes.
Administrative Law, Municipal Law, and School Law: A Wisconsin Supreme Court opinion that addressed whether the contents of public employees’ personal e-mail communications created or stored on a government-owned system are records under the Wisconsin Public Records Law.
Constitutional Law and Probate and Estate Planning. A Wisconsin Court of Appeals decision that discussed the due-process standards a court should consider when determining whether to dismiss a civil action for failure to prosecute.
Creditor/Debtor Law: The enactment of legislation regulating payday loans and motor vehicle title loans in Wisconsin.
Criminal Law: Legislative amendments to Wisconsin’s criminal and traffic laws, including the creation of a statute to ban texting while driving.
Health Law: The Wisconsin Legislature’s creation of a new statute requiring hospitals and certain health care providers to disclose information about how much they charge for certain commonly performed procedures and certain diagnosis-related groups.
Constitutional Law, Family Law, and Juvenile Law: A Wisconsin Court of Appeals opinion that discussed issues relating to equal protection and grandparental decision-making responsibilities when a grandparent has been awarded visitation privileges with a grandchild after one of the grandchild’s parents has passed away.
Each of the 23 chapters of the 2011 Annual Survey, covers a different practice area, is available in print to members for $55 and nonmembers for $129, plus tax and shipping. Subscribers to the Bar’s automatic supplementation service will receive future updates at a discount off the regular price. Annual subscriptions to Books UnBound™ start at $129 per title and $649 for the full library (single-user prices; call for firm pricing).
For more information, or to order print or unbound versions, contact the State Bar at (800) 728-7788 or (608) 257-3838.
